| Camp David Naval Support Facility Thurmont | |
|---|---|
| Catoctin Mountain Park Frederick County, Maryland in the United States | |
 The main lodge during February 1971 | |
 | |
  Camp David Location in Maryland  Camp David Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates | 39°38′54″N 77°27′54″W / 39.64833°N 77.46500°W |
| Type | Presidential country retreat |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Department of Defense |
| Operator | US Navy |
| Controlled by | Naval District Washington |
| Open to the public | No |
| Website | Official website |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1935–1938 |
| Built by | Works Progress Administration |
| In use | 1938–present |
| Events | Camp David Accords (1978) Camp David Summit (2000) 38th G8 summit (2012) |
| Garrison information | |
| Current commander | Commander Kimberly I. Mazur |
| Occupants | President of the United States and the First Family |
Camp David is a 125-acre (51 ha) country retreat for the president of the United States. It is located in the wooded hills of Catoctin Mountain Park, in Frederick County, Maryland, near the towns of Thurmont and Emmitsburg, about 62 miles (100 km) north-northwest of the national capital city of Washington, D.C.[1][2][3] It is code named Naval Support Facility Thurmont. Technically a military installation, its staffing is primarily provided by the Seabees, Civil Engineer Corps (CEC), the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. Naval construction battalions are tasked with Camp David construction and send detachments as needed.
Originally known as Hi-Catoctin, Camp David was built as a retreat for federal government agents and their families by the Works Progress Administration.[4] Construction started in 1935 and was completed in 1938.[5] In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt converted it to a presidential retreat and renamed it "Shangri-La", after the fictional Himalayan paradise.[4] Camp David received its present name in 1953 from President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in honor of his father and his grandson, both named David.[6]
The Catoctin Mountain Park does not indicate the location of Camp David on park maps due to privacy and security concerns,[3] although it can be seen through the use of publicly accessible satellite images.
- ^ "Park Map Viewer". Catoctin Mountain Park. Retrieved on February 4, 2011.
- ^ "Thurmont town, Maryland Archived November 24, 2011, at the Wayback Machine". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on February 4, 2011.
- ^ a b "Frequently Asked Questions". Catoctin Mountain Park, Retrieved on February 4, 2011. "10. Where is Camp David? The Presidential Retreat is within the park however, it is not open to the public and its location is not shown on our park maps for both security and privacy. If you're interested in historical information, visit our Presidential Retreat webpage."
- ^ a b "Camp David". National Archives. August 15, 2016. Archived from the original on May 3, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
Officially a U.S. Navy installation, the facility was originally built by the Works Progress Administration as a camp for government employees, opening in 1938. President Franklin D. Roosevelt took it over in a few years and named it "Shangri-La," for the mountain kingdom in Lost Horizon, the 1933 novel by James Hilton. It was renamed in 1953 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in honor of his then-five-year-old grandson, Dwight David Eisenhower II.
- ^ "12 WPA Projects that Still Exist". How Stuff Works. September 16, 2007. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
- ^ Eisenhower, David; Julie Nixon Eisenhower (2010). Going Home to Glory: A Memoir of Life with Dwight David Eisenhower, 1961–1969. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 31.